Problems That Relate to Computer Virus

Computer viruses cause many problems for business and personal computers and their users. Viruses can cause large amounts of damage, from computer errors to data theft. Protect yourself and identify them early by looking for the following problems evident in your system.

Slow Computer

Viruses slow down your computer operation. Start up, normal operations and even Internet browsing may be affected.
Freezes

When a computer freezes, there is a good chance your system has been infected with a virus. Restart your computer to see if the problem persists. A virus is the likely culprit if this isn't a one-time problem.
Crashes

Verify that drivers, especially for new hardware, are up to date, if your system is crashing. A virus may be the cause if the problem continues.
Printing Issues

Scan your system for viruses, especially if you lose the ability to print and your printer appears online.
Anti-virus Software Disabled

Check if your anti-virus software has been disabled. Many viruses have the potential to disable such security software if not detected quickly enough.


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Solutions To Computer Viruses

Does your computer lag or does it seem to have any unusual behavior, if it does chances are your computer is infected with a virus. To help you with solutions to computer viruses I have answered some questions people ask me about getting rid of viruses.

1.)Whats is a computer virus?

Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or instant messaging messages. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files, this is why most viruses come from downloading movies, music, illegal programs and most of all from pornographic material.

2.)What are other names for a virus?

You may have heard of malware, spy ware, Trojans, trackers, hijackers, ad ware, etc... these are just subsections of viruses.

3.)Symptoms of a virus?

After you open and run an infected program or attachment on your computer, you might not realize that you have introduced a virus until you notice something is not quite right.
Here are a few primary indicators that your computer might be infected:

Your computer runs more slowly than normal,

Your computer stops responding or locks up often,

Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes,

Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally,

Applications on your computer do not work correctly,

Disks or disk drives are inaccessible,

You can not print correctly,

You see unusual error messages,

You see distorted menus and dialog boxes

You are BOMBARDED with pop ups,

4.)What are some solutions to computer viruses?

The perfect solutions to computer viruses are purchasing a quality virus program, and staying off unwanted sites. Then your computer and your privacy is secured.

5.) What is the best virus protection for me?

Even if you do not have a virus, or already have one, purchasing a quality virus program is the best solution to computer viruses. I have mentioned the best solutions/products for your computer virus problems below.

Source: http://goo.gl/ULvNG

The Best Ways to Protect Your Computer Against Viruses

Computer viruses are deceptively small, and though they seem benign, they can cause immense damage. Viruses can have an effect that ranges everywhere from deleting your hard drive, hijacking your web browser and stealing your personal information. A large percentage of computer viruses travel as email attachments. They are often disguised as a funny picture or some other seemingly safe type of file. However, once the attached file is opened the virus can infect your system.

The other most common way for viruses to spread are in simple executable files (.exe for pc's and.app or.dmg for macs), often disguised as part of other programs and that get installed when you run them. These types of viruses, often known as trojans for the stealthy way they get on your computer are harder to diagnose and solve. It is imperative that you never click on, open or run a file or program unless you are sure the author can be trusted.

There are several things you can do to help protect your computer from viruses and malware. The first step is to understand whether or not your computer is already infected. There are a number of symptoms which are emblematic of virus infection.

* Slow Speed - if your computer is 'taking a long time to think about things' such as loading programs or saving data, then your computer may be infected.
* Lost Drives - If you are unable to access certain drives, like disk drives or partitions, you need to run some malware removal.
* No Response - This can be the result of a virus, although that is not always the case as software incompatibilities or hardware configurations can have the same effect.
* Crashes/Reboots - it stands to reason that if your computer starts shutting down and starting itself back up you have a serious virus on your hands.

You can do a number of things to help protect your computer from virus attacks. Many of these are simple or easy, but they should not be ignored just the same. Always remember to:

* Shut Your Computer Down - If you are sure your computer is off then you never have to worry about what it is doing when you aren't using it.
* Disconnect from the internet - Now that no one uses dialup anymore, connecting to the internet hardly takes any time. Best to leave your computer disconnected whenever you can.
* Untrustworthy Programs/Files - If you didn't download it, ask for it or anticipate opening it, then don't open it. If you aren't sure who sent you a file or why you are being asked to download something delete or abort it.

If you do happen to contact a computer virus, which happens to most of us despite our efforts, you need to consult a malware removal specialist. This can come in the form of anti-virus programs and security suites, or tech support specialists highly trained in virus removal. Anti-virus programs can detect and delete many types of malware that could harm your computer, whereas a removal specialist can help you troubleshoot the viruses that can hide from security software. Don't forget to always keep your firewall up and your anti-virus software constantly updated, especially if you spend a lot of time on the internet.

Source: http://goo.gl/Xotza

How to Clean Spyware from Your Computer

Spyware is computer software that gets installed secretly on personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's contact with the computer, without the user's consent.
Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habit, sites that have been visited. Spyware can even change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages, and loss of Internet or other programs.

To keep you computer working finely it is necessary to remove spyware. For this you need help of a spyware remover program. There are plenty of anti-spyware software available as it has become a blooming industry. You need to keep a good firewall in place as well as email virus help protection. But these two ways are not sufficient and any time these malicious viruses can get into your computer.

Anti-spyware programs can combat spyware in two ways:
• They can provide real time protection against the installation of spyware software on your computer
• Anti-spyware software programs can be used solely for detection and removal of spyware software that has already been installed onto your computer.

Some examples of such spyware removing programs are:
• Norton Internet Security
• Microsoft Windows Antispyware (Beta)
• X-Cleaner (freeware)
• Spy Sweeper
• Pest Patrol
• Hijack This
• Spy Remover
• Who's Watching Me

The other way to remove a spyware is through the Add/Remove Programs section of Windows to see if any worm, virus help or spyware help is listed. Some of the quasi-legitimate adware programs may include uninstallers, but malicious pests do not.

For a home PC a clean format can solve the problem. But for a computer which is storing huge amount of information, it would not be a good choice. You need to take back up before formatting a computer. In this case you need to keep these tips in mind.

Hard disk partitioning method:
• Shrink and hide the current infested partition, create a new visible and bootable partition, install the clean copy of Windows into this new partition.
Disk imaging method:
• The best location for the image backup is outside the infested computer, either on CDs, DVDs, an external hard disk or another computer on the LAN.

Formatting may be one of the safer methods, but you need to clean spyware thoroughly and eradicate it whenever you find it.

To keep your PC spyware free it is advised to constantly update your spyware definitions to the latest versions. Scan your system at least once a week, more often if you can, and use at least two proven spyware remover programs to clean spyware completely and keep your computer in good shape.

Source : http://www.itvoir.com/portal/boxx/knowledgebase.asp?iid=696&Cat=3

The future of security

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 12 MAY 2008 - A futurologist in IT security? Difficult to believe, but it is true. On a recent visit to Dubai to discuss the risks of the global Internet, David Perry, Global Director of Education for Trend Micro, is a futurologist, predicts the upcoming dangers and thefts in the IT industry globally. He has been working for Trend Micro for the past 10 years and was earlier associated with McAfee. CNME met up with Perry to get a brief analysis on the scenario today.

CNME: Why do you call yourself a futurologist?

Perry: At Trend Micro there has always been stress on the role of Internet security which is a dense area. There are all kinds of considerations to be made like vocabulary, messed up mathematics, be able to interpret languages from Russians, Chinese and Americans. I am constantly involved in research and I have a good grasp of the English language. You don't find a lot of computer virus help experts with the same ability therefore I am able to interpret all the technical information for the ordinary person. Due to this I am able to predict trends and initiatives which also help me to understand threats. We are able to articulate it and make sense before selling the solution to the end-user.

CNME: How you see the state of Internet Security today?

Perry: Customers must be made aware of basic facts like for example the original computer virus help was not on a PC or an Apple machine or mainframe or storage device. The original virus was a work of fiction by a writer named John Brunner. Viruses existed in fiction before they existed in fact. All the ideas we carry on viruses are fictional and they are not responsible for destroying the hardware. Somebody is not writing viruses in the backroom of an antivirus company. They are invisible, silent and most importantly at this point of the history of the world viruses and malware are stealing your bank accounts. This is happening in the behest of giant organized crime rings in Russia, China, Etnovia, Latvia, South America, Columbia and even including United States and Australia.

The real crime is not about stealing a bank but about stealing passwords, credit card numbers and logins of users. According to the FBI last year 15 million users from America got their identity stolen and computer crime put together accounted for $89.9 b. This means its approaching the same level of crime from drugs therefore making it front rank crimes.

CNME: As a security expert, do you think Trend Micro has done enough to stand apart from competition? What kind of initiatives is being undertaken by the vendor?

Perry: I am influential and one of the most famous anti-virus people in the whole world, probably not as much Gene Kaspersky because he owns a company. At Trend Micro I am able to share any kind of concern with the top management which is a big difference compared to companies like Symantec. They have moved onto hiring professional managers who are only interested in sales, numbers and finances. But in Trend Micro the CEO has 9 patents, she is an engineer, has invented many of our hot products and been with the company for 20 years. The top management - Steve and Jenny Yang - has been around for the entire history of the company. They have a passion and understanding of what makes good protection.

At Trend Micro one of the initiatives we have decided to take up as a public affairs issue is that of children being bullied on-line. We are getting ready to launch information, give lectures and also conduct these sessions in schools. There are market initiatives launched in EMEA where I have gone and given presentations.

CNME: Has security today moved beyond the computer?

Perry: It has definitely moved from the basic computer. Today it's about identity, not about computer security. In the United States if I purchase a sofa, telephone or a car, the credit rating company is called to check on your reputation. The same is applicable with your passport, which is checked every time at the airport for your identity.

In the same situation, if your identity is stolen through your credit card you have lost your credit rating and you cannot buy a car.

We are heading into a future which is not protected and there will be more sensitive data for the end user. There is often a comment made that antivirus companies are catching up with hackers. Even for us, there is immense effort put into research for e.g. there are thousands of research engineers at Trend Labs in Manila. On my way back from Dubai I will be stopping by at the lab. There is a lot of advanced study and research done in this direction but you don't hear about all the products being developed in these labs.

CNME: You have made comments in the past about security vendors not behaving like grownups, please comment.

Perry: Security vendors are always fighting on what to name viruses. In the era of worldwide virus outbreaks, that was affecting the entire world. But now it's a different scene as the virus attacks target a few hundred end-users. The name of the virus help was an important issue and all the anti-virus vendors wanted to name it differently. The question was always 'Who would name it?' so 'Who was the grown up?'

Nobody respects the other to differ from them and they don't want to make Symantec more powerful. There are no grownups in this fight as it moves on to other issues like setting security standards for testing. These are political decisions to be made on how to test the software based on who is going to win this test?

There are companies pushing one kind of standardization putting them into the good light completely. This is a business where billions of dollars are made and therefore the naming problem has to be fixed.

CNME: Should there be set parameters for security in an IT network?

Perry: The first point to keep in mind for an enterprise end-user is to understand what is happening in your network. You cannot fly blind as you have to know what you are protecting and secondly have comprehensive protection. Customers would earlier purchase different security solutions from various vendors. But now customers use heterogenous networks and they could be using a Linux or Nuventu or a Mackintosh OS other than a pure Microsoft XP system.

Computer security is based on four pillars beginning first from systems, then security, followed by hardware, software in all the systems has to be designed in a secure manner and the security products have to be aware of the changes in the system and product.

User education and awareness are the other important factors. Security awareness within the enterprise begins with recognizing the need for it. At Trend Micro we will be able to help end-users do this as we have acquired several new companies and are in a position to start with knowledge assessment then move onto training programs.

source : http://computerworld.com.my/ShowPage.aspx?pagetype=2&articleid=8267&pubid=4&issueid=135

Computer Virus Help

t’s been weeks since a corruption scandal humiliated the Bush administration, so I suppose we were overdue for news like

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Office of Special Counsel here, seizing computers and documents belonging to the agency chief Scott Bloch and staff.

More than a dozen FBI agents served grand jury subpoenas shortly after 10 a.m., shutting down the agency’s computer network and searching its offices, as well as Mr. Bloch’s home. Employees said the searches appeared focused on alleged obstruction of justice by Mr. Bloch during the course of an 2006 inquiry into his conduct in office.

The independent agency, created by Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal, is charged with protecting federal employees and deciding whether their complaints merit full-scale investigation — a first line of defense against fraud and mismanagement in government. It also enforces a ban on U.S. employees engaging in partisan political activity.

This story has taken a few twists and turns, but it’s actually really interesting, and more than a little comical.

The Office of Special Counsel isn’t the most high-profile office in government, but it’s generally tasked with investigating whistleblower complaints. Bloch, however, has been ambitious — about a year ago, the OSC launched a broad investigation into Karl Rove’s political activities, with particular attention on the prosecutor purge, RNC emails, and fairly obvious Hatch Act violations (Rove’s office politicized various federal agencies). “We will take the evidence where it leads us,” Bloch said.

But while the investigator was investigating Rove, he was also facing his own investigation.

The Special Counsel looking into a potential cover-up appears to have been

The head of the federal agency investigating Karl Rove’s White House political operation is facing allegations that he improperly deleted computer files during another probe, using a private computer-help company, Geeks on Call. […]

Recently, investigators learned that Mr. Bloch erased all the files on his office personal computer late last year. They are now trying to determine whether the deletions were improper or part of a cover-up, lawyers close to the case said.

Bloch claims that he contacted the private PC-help service — bypassing his own agency’s computer technicians — to deal with a virus that had control of his computer.

He apparently asked the technicians to do a “seven-level” wipe, which, as the WSJ reported, “makes it nearly impossible for forensics experts to restore the data later.” While Geeks on Call was there, he also directed the technicians to wipe laptops used by his two top political deputies.

Bloch used tax-dollars to pay for all of this, and the $1,149 receipt makes no mention of a virus. Jeff Phelps, who runs Washington’s Geeks on Call franchise, said it would be unusual to address a virus problem by wiping a hard-drive. So for virus help he called the somebody.

Nothing suspicious here. No sirree.

This is, as David Corn while back, “a dizzying situation.”

The investigator investigating officials who oversee the agency that is investigating the investigator. Forget firewalls. This looks more like a basement flooded with backed-up sewage — with the water rising.

I should note, by the way, that this probe was launched while Bloch was already under investigation for

Only with the Bush gang is this set of circumstances even possible — Bloch is ostensibly investigating the Justice Department for its political activities, and simultaneously the Justice Department sends the FBI to raid Bloch’s office and home. What’s more, everybody is probably guilty.

source : thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/15449.html